Today we walked about 18km from Mondoñedo to Abadín. It was mainly uphill all day as we headed further into the mountains. We did take an alternate route as the standard course went up steeply, and we didn’t want to do that. Our path was more gradual. Today’s main challenge was the intermittent rain and constant wind we had to battle against.

A modern building with large glass windows, situated next to a stone wall, under a cloudy sky. — Our hotel in Mondoñedo

Our stay in Mondoñedo was great. We ended up four of us renting an apartment for the night. Ron and I went to the supermarket to buy ingredients to cook us a meal because it had a kitchen and that worked out much cheaper for us. We cooked a pasta dish for dinner and bought bacon and eggs for breakfast.

The guy who owned the hotel was also the sacristan at the cathedral and invited us to Mass at 7 pm and afterwards showed us around the cathedral.

Path leading to a church in Mondoñedo with two travelers walking along a rural road. — Leaving Mondoñedo

A scenic view showing green hills and trees with a distant viaduct in the background against a cloudy sky. — We follow the main highway up in the hills for most of the day

A winding road surrounded by lush green hills and mountains, with wind turbines visible in the background under a cloudy sky.

We follow the valley and road upwards for most of the day. The freeway and wind turbines are way up in the mountain above us. We can hear the throb of the turbines occasionally.

Scenic road winding through lush greenery with eucalyptus trees and distant mountains under a cloudy sky. — The road winds upwards through the valley

A scenic view of a winding road surrounded by green fields and trees under a partly cloudy sky.

A scenic view of a hilly landscape featuring trees, green fields, and a wind turbine in the background, under a cloudy sky.

A path leading through greenery towards a mysterious, abandoned building partially hidden by trees.

We pass by some sinister-looking ruins, and I’ve searched on the web but can’t find out what they are and what it was for—a very strange-looking building.

A hiker walking along a rocky path next to a moss-covered stone structure, surrounded by trees and vegetation. — More ruins

Panoramic view of a mountainous landscape with wind turbines in the distance under a cloudy sky. — More wind turbines

The rain was setting in quite a bit at this point, and once we’d climbed to the summit, the path met the freeway. At that point, there was a roadside fuel stop, so we decided to go in and get out of the rain and have a coffee and some cake.

Panoramic view of green fields with a roadside fuel stop, highways, and wind turbines on the hills in the background under a partly cloudy sky. — Our pitstop once the rain had passed

A scenic dirt path winds through lush green fields with distant hills and a cloudy sky overhead.

After our refreshments, the rain did continue to threaten but never eventuated. The wind was blowing a gale, though. From this point on to Abadín, it was mostly downhill, so an easy walk into town.

A scenic view of a winding road surrounded by lush green fields and distant mountains under a cloudy sky with wind turbines on the hills. — Still following that freeway

A hiker walking along a rural road surrounded by green fields and trees under a partly cloudy sky. — The sun has a chance to shine through the clouds

A view of a quiet street in Abadín, with buildings lining both sides and a clear blue sky overhead. — Abadin, our home for tonight

So a shorter walk today but a steady climb kept the heart rate up. We arrived in Abadín at about 3 pm, and our bags hadn’t arrived yet, so we had a couple of beers and waited for them to arrive. That’s it for today. Tomorrow we’re heading for Vilalba, and from there, it’s deep into the countryside without much until we hit the French Camino in Arzua. Not long to go now. This time next week, I’ll be sitting on a plane heading back to Barcelona. Time flies when you’re having fun.

Anyway, that’s it from me today. Thanks for reading, and Buen Camino! 🙃

For a map of today’s walk, you’ll find it below.

James Altham

Camino del Norte Day 20

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